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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Short-Term Soil Organic Matter And Carbon Responses To Contrasting Grazing Intensities In Integrated Crop-Livestock Systems, Erick R. Da Silva Santos, Jose C. B. Dubeux, B. G. C. Homem, Cheryl L. Mackowiak, Lynn E. Sollenberger, D. Wright Nov 2023

Short-Term Soil Organic Matter And Carbon Responses To Contrasting Grazing Intensities In Integrated Crop-Livestock Systems, Erick R. Da Silva Santos, Jose C. B. Dubeux, B. G. C. Homem, Cheryl L. Mackowiak, Lynn E. Sollenberger, D. Wright

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Combining integrated crop-livestock systems under no-till management may improve soil organic matter (SOM) build up and improve soil C sequestration. Grazing cover crops appears as a possibility to combine crops and livestock in a farm system. Further SOM and soil C increase can be achieved by adding perennial grasses into crop rotations. However, the effect of grazing intensity in such systems are not fully understood. This 2-yr study investigated short-term effects of cropping system [winter cover crops-summer cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and winter cover crops-summer bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flüggé) rotations], grazing intensity (no grazing, heavy, moderate, and light …


Soil Compaction In Cropland Pastures Used For Winter Grazing, B. F. Tracy Jun 2023

Soil Compaction In Cropland Pastures Used For Winter Grazing, B. F. Tracy

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

In the northern United States, forage availability on cool season pastures declines rapidly late in the growing season (Moser & Hoveland 1996). To supplement low forage availability in the fall and winter, producers can graze livestock on cropland pastures containing annual cover crops and crop residues. Managed properly, cropland pastures can provide livestock with abundant, high quality forage that lasts long into winter. A potential issue with cropland pastures is that presence of cattle on moist, non sod-bearing soils could lead to severe soil compaction. The objective of this particular study was to determine how winter grazing on cropland pastures …


The Use Of Biological Soil Health Indicators To Quantify The Benefits Of Cover Crops, Alexander Wu Apr 2023

The Use Of Biological Soil Health Indicators To Quantify The Benefits Of Cover Crops, Alexander Wu

Masters Theses

Soils provide many essential functions that support the world. With a decline in soil health, these functions also decrease in efficiency, and can threaten the health of billions of people around the world. Typically, soil health tests do not use biological indicators, however microbes drive and perform vital functions to increase soil health. One way to increase soil health is through the use of cover crops to reduce soil erosion during fallow periods, increasing soil organic matter, as well as collecting nutrients from soil into their biomass. These cover crops are then terminated through various methods such as herbicides, disk …